Fish Preservation in Southeast Asia

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews several indigenous methods of fish preservation in the Far East. Of those described, many are more or less standardized for a given village or region. However, many minor, or even major, modifications are used in other places in the same area. A few examples have been given that indicate that these relatively simple methods of fish preservation offer a number of possibilities for further research, the results of which should enable the existing cheap methods to be improved. However, the acceptability of the products from the point of view of the rice-eater must always be kept in mind. Consideration has been given to fish sauces; fish pastes; salted fish, not dried; dried, or salted and dried, fish products; and miscellaneous products. The salted and partially dried fish and the fish sauces have been studied more extensively than the other products. The rather primitive methods of manufacturing fish meal and oil and smoked fish are not discussed because of their limited local importance.